Alina Kuzma is a fourth-generation bandurist, a.k.a. someone who plays the bandura, an instrument sometimes said to embody the “voice and soul of Ukraine.” Alina is a co-founder of the Women’s Bandurist Ensemble of North America and a member of Korinya Folk Band. The bandura has shaped her life in many ways — in all ways, really. Alina says she wouldn’t exist if not for this instrument. In this episode, Vsi listeners are treated to a performance by Alina!

What Else You’ll Hear

- How Alina merges traditional music with modern times

- How you can start learning the bandura yourself

- The phenomenon of the bandura camp experience

- How the bandura has become a passport for Alina

- The different types of the bandura

- “A little bit of angry feminism”

Resources

- Women’s Bandurist Ensemble of North America: YouTube, Facebook, Website, Contact Page

- Korinya Folk Band: Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Website

- Documentary about Ukrainian musicians

Music

- A big thanks to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song